The Preservation Band That Sets the Tone

Published: June 7, 1998

(Page 3 of 3)

The most controversial aspect of the project was the decision to build an entirely new staircase on the east side of the concourse, balancing that on the Vanderbilt Avenue side. ''That was kind of shocking to the traditionalists,'' Mr. Stangl conceded.

But not to Mr. Fitch. ''The logic of the plan suggested that there would have been a balancing stair there,'' he said. ''That's the essence of Beaux-Arts philosophy. We found working drawings that showed that a staircase could be put in. We found steel connections all prepared for the stair.''

At the age of 89, Mr. Fitch retired last month from active practice. He was succeeded in the partnership by James W. Rhodes, 52, who was named on Tuesday. The other partners are Douglas McR. McKean, 42, and Richard Metsky, 40. Marilyn Marullo, 46, is the administrative officer, a position equivalent to partner.

Altogether, eight partners and two associate partners own a stake in the firm, whose gross annual billings amount to $15.5 million. There are about 100 employees. In the latest ranking, Beyer Blinder Belle was the 18th largest firm in the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

From a peak of 150 employees in the mid-80's, the firm shrank to fewer than 50 during the depth of the recession in the early 90's.

''We kept most of our senior staff,'' Ms. Marullo said, ''although we had them working on the boards.'' Those who remained took pay cuts. The firm depended on public works and other ''bread-and-butter'' projects, said Maxinne Rhea Leighton, the managing director of business development.

Only six blocks from its original home, Beyer Blinder Belle occupies the second floor of a loft building at 11th Street and University Place. A 60-foot-long display wall bisects the space at a 45-degree angle, leading to the ''crit pit,'' a large room where wide-ranging critiques occur almost every Tuesday morning over breakfast.

Its partners take pride in being more New York-oriented than many of their competitors. ''They say they're on their way to Kuala Lumpur,'' Mr. Belle noted, ''and we're on our way to the Bronx.''

''I'm going through subway cards like crazy,'' Mr. Blinder added.

But the firm's national profile will surely grow. One project on the drawing boards involves the potential recreation of Thomas U. Walter's original 1859 design for the United States Senate Chamber.

The firm is active in planning, renovating private homes and corporate interiors. It is also cultivating business in new construction, Mr. McKean said, on the grounds that ''we know how buildings are put together.''

''The lack of a signature style has its liabilities and strengths,'' Mr. Metsky said. ''It may be a liability in getting a commission for a new building. But the strength is in our ability to group together to solve complex problems. A non-signature building doesn't have to be done by one hand.''

Rather than being divided among specialists, projects are given to teams of generalists who follow the work from the earliest sketches to the last punch list. The advantage is that even junior architects can gain broad experience. The disadvantage is the potential for burnout, particularly on jobs like Grand Central that go on for years.

No one is expecting Beyer or Blinder or Belle to burn out anytime soon. ''As long as they want to practice architecture, it's open to them,'' Mr. McKean said, adding that the name of the firm will not change.

As to the future, Mr. Belle looks forward to standing in a completed Grand Central and overhearing one commuter ask another: ''Doesn't the east staircase look better now that it's been restored?''

Photos: The partners of Beyer Blinder Belle at Grand Central Terminal: Douglas McR. McKean, Marilyn Marullo, Frederick Bland, John Belle, Richard Blinder, John H. Beyer, Richard Southwick and Richard Metsky. Not pictured is James W. Rhodes, who was named on Tuesday. (Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times); In 1978, illuminated signs and promotional kiosks filled the terminal. (David W. Dunlap )(pg. 1); A Beyer Blinder Belle Sampler -- The Main Building on Ellis Island (upper left)(Sherman Morss Jr./Notter Finegold & Alexander) was restored and renovated in 1990 as part of the National Museum of Immigration. A factory in Hoboken, N.J., was recycled in 1976 as the 173-unit Clock Tower apartments (upper right)(Peter Aaron/ESTO). The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden (left)(Frederick Charles) reopened last year after rehabilitation. The Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, is being renovated and expanded (new classroom above)(Walter Dufresne)(pg. B22) Drawing: Renderings of Rockefeller Center show the controversial plan to narrow the red granite setting for Prometheus (as it exists, top) to accommodate new entrances to the underground concourse (as proposed, bottom). (Beyer Blinder Belle)(pg. B22)